A Walk in the Sun

"THEY FOUGHT BEST WHEN IT WAS HOPELESS!"

1945 1h 57m EN

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 64

War

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

It's 1943 and the allied landings in and around the town of Salerno,Italy are underway.A platoon from the U.S 36th Infantry Division is tasked with advancing 6 miles inland to blow a bridge before clearing a nearby farmhouse, with the hope of blocking an expected counter attack on the Division's bridgehead.

“THEY FOUGHT BEST WHEN IT WAS HOPELESS!”

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Cast

Dana Andrews
Sgt. Bill Tyne
Richard Conte
Pvt. Rivera
George Tyne
Pvt. Jake Friedman
John Ireland
Pfc. Windy Craven
Lloyd Bridges
Sgt. Ward
Sterling Holloway
McWilliams
Norman Lloyd
Pvt. Archimbeau
Herbert Rudley
Sgt. Eddie Porter

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Lewis Milestone
Writers: Robert Rossen
Languages: English, Italian
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

81 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Lewis Milestone, shot by Russell Harlan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Freddie Rich. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Duncan Mansfield shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Dana Andrews and Richard Conte and George Tyne carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "THEY FOUGHT BEST WHEN IT WAS HOPELESS!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Lewis Milestone directs. Russell Harlan behind the camera. Freddie Rich scores. Duncan Mansfield cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
281 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.
4Directed by Lewis Milestone, shot by Russell Harlan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Freddie Rich. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Duncan Mansfield shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Dana Andrews and Richard Conte and George Tyne carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "THEY FOUGHT BEST WHEN IT WAS HOPELESS!".
9IMDB entry: tt0038235 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 64 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Russell Harlan
Original score: Freddie Rich
Editing: Duncan Mansfield
Costume design: Sam Benson
Runtime: 117 min · 1h 57m
Status: Released
Budget: $850,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: A Walk in the Sun (1945)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Lewis Milestone

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-07-01
★ 6/10
I found this a rather dry, dreary attempt to insert us into the heart of an American brigade charged with blowing up an Italian Bridge as WWII nears it close. Dana Andrews, Richard Conte and John Ireland contribute gritty, authentic performances as their tough, sanguine squad face trials and tribulations - but there are lengthy periods of dialogue that, whilst well written, can bog the story down in a surfeit of individual personalities. Ultimately, I think it is just too close to the bone for anyone but an experienced soldier to be able to extract any value because well made, as it is, it lacks humour or pathos and conveys just too effectively the weariness of all concerned. What rescues it, to some extent, is the POV style of direction - frequently we see/hear no more than the soldiers and that does have an evocative effect during the brief, but pretty hair-raising conflict scenes.

Production companies